Plastic material and process of making same



' of rigid mineral material const divided in a natural UNITED s'ra'rns- CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 BITUMINIZED ROAD MICHAEL A. POPKESS, OF KANSAS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

PLASTIC MATERIAL AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

No Drawing. Application filed April Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

9, 1917, Serial No. 160,837. Renewed September 16, 1919. Serial No.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL A. Porxnss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plastic aterials and Processes of Making Same, 0 which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to plastic materials and processes of making same; and it comprises a brick, or block, a roadway or other shaped article made of assembled fragments 'tuting the bulk of said article, with the voids between the fragments filled with a particular plas tic composition made of intimately incororated bitumerrand fine mineral material, suchmineral matter being dust-like in its fineness, and the proportion of mineral matter being such as to cause the composition to be hardbut somewhat malleable and plastic, but inseparable and non-flowing by the action of temperature changes, such finely mineral matter being most advantageously aclay having its particles insubstantially the same relation as they. exist deflocculated soil; and it further comprises a nzethod of making bricks, road surfaces and other shaped articles wherein fragments of mineral matter of a rigid and hard nature are assembled in a mechanically strong assemblage or aggregate together with -a composition of ne dust-like mineral matter with incorporated bitumen in the quantity which the composition hard, dense and strong but somewhat malleable and plastic, such composition being used in an amount about equivalent to the minimum voids between the fragments, said fragmentary mineral matter and said composi ion being assembled together and compacted into form under heavy pressure; all as more fully here inafter set forth'and as claim'ed.

It has heretofore proved difficult to make bricks f any fragmentary material with asphalt as a binder. This is for the reason that relatively large voids exist between the fragments, and since asphalt, even the hardest varieties, is more or less fluent, that is tends to flow, and becomes more increase in temperature, it was impossible will render.

fluent with an to keep the bodies or lakes of asphalt between the fragments from flowing or changing their position, permitting relative movement of the mineral matter. The use of asphalts normally liquid at atmospheric temperature in such relation was of course wholly precluded since they would flow out. The commercial asphalts have this tendency to flow even where, as in the case of asphalts such as Trinidad, they contain considerable mineral matter or ash. They are all material which will, or can be made to, flow. Under suflicient pressure even asphalt willflow, and time and degree of pressure are in some measure reciprocal. Increase in temperature always increases the flow/ The only blocks madewith asphalt as a binder with any measure of commercial success are those using a very hard. asphalt and with sufficient pressure to crush the aggregate into close assemblage, obviating voids and reducing the thickness of the cementing asphalt films to the lowest possible degree.

are necessary and the process is only applicable to rocks of low crushing strength, the object being to get rid of voids by the use of sufficient mechanical pressure to smash the rock fragments together in looking relation. The process cannot be used with ordinary sand and gravel.

For similar reasons, the use of asphalt in paving work has not been as as it should be. way, it is the custom to provide first a soli and rigid underbody or foundation, usual of concrete. Attempts to use the natural soil, even in a previously existing macadam roadway, have not afforded the necessary solidity and stability. On this base is built up an assemblage of rock fragments (gravel is less satisfactory) and sand, the fragments and sand being so arranged that as far as possible the amount of voids is reduced to a minimum. To reduce the amount of voids still further, it is often the custom to use the fragments of ded gether with l. The effort is to make a structure of ments, sand and gravel'in which I of mineral matter shall have mutual support or looking engagement, the structure having inherent stability. Reliance is size to placed on the rigidity of the fragments and their engagement with each other to resist all, ormost, of the stresses and. strains of tr-afiic. With this prepared roadway is used one of the ordinary solid or semisolid asmanner that it may fiow phalts in such a into and fill up th ing; this cementing the fragments of sand together in their predetern'iined positions and of water-proofing or filling up the voids. Liquid asphalt is not used for this type of paving for the "reason that it would simply e voids unavoidably existsolid or temperatures, there is'a tendency to flow, re

sulting in the gradual creation of spaces or voids, permitting the mutualmovement of' the fragments of aggregate; The fragments of aggregate left free to move, tend to grind eac other under traflic. And even Where the flow of asphalt is not great, the flow may still 'be sufficient to permit movement of the fragments of the aggregate enough to make the road wave or undulate or develop rut s and holes.

In the blocksand-in the pavements alike,

it will be noted that the dlflicultywith asphalt is its tendency to flow. I have found that by using instead of asphalt an asphalt composition with enough very finely divided it non-flowing I can avoid the noted difiiculties and securenew advantages; that I can 3L5 make permanent, hard and rigid blocks even from sand and gravel at low pressures, while I can provide roadways which nent under temperature changes. In-mak blocks of this material only enough pressure is necessary. to deform asphalt composition enough .to crush the gravel or 'rock itself.

In a number of other applications I have.

v similar purposes, which, broadly stated, consistsof asphalt and an impalpably finematerial; the two being assembled in such pro'-' 7 59 portions'that, while the composition is mal-.

. leable' enough "nevertheless strength ofits own, --a ssei nblage of the two to tamp and form into place,

hard anddense composit1on. Wh1le the ma- 1 the best compositions are made with natural 60 clayey or earthy materials. In earthy-materials, the ultimate clay particles exist in a state of fineness almost imposslble to terials.

, In clay in thenatural orculated state in which it exists being for the double purpose of take care that they shall be as fr are permathe stated, 'v andmake it fill the" voids; it isnot necessary to use pressure it' has sufiicient mechanical due to the manner'ofamount of oneof obtain} by artificial means as in grindingrocky 'masoils, the ultimate particles are of almost indefinite fineness. In my priorPatent N 0. 1,008,433, of N ovember 14, 1911,I have described and claimed a method of making compositions for surfacing roads wherein earthy material is dried and reduced to the finest possible state and is then incorporated with bituminous material. In drying and grinding earth, however, the fineness of all the partlcles obtained is not as great as that existing in the earthy matter of the soil in its natural or defloceulated condition. In certain other and copending applications (Serial No. 90,391 and Serial N o.' 136,809), I have described and claimed the manufac- '80 ture of plastic materials in which the natural great fineness of the clayey matter of the soil is retained in the finished composition by the expedient of substituting asphalt in special Ways for the water present in the moist clayey material. I Since the strength and resistant qualities, mechanically considered,"of the composition made inthese inventions are dependent mainly upon the manner in which thebithmen and the fine mineral matter are assembled instead of upon the consistency of the asphalt or bitumen, I am enabled to use the ordinary liquid asphal-ts. With properp'roportioning of theveryfine mineral matter and liquid asphalt, compositions are produced which are dry orsubstantially so and evince no tendency'to lose their asphalt on contact with other materials. In using such liquid asphalts in the present invention, I ee'as mav I find. that I of volatile constituents.

cannotrely upon the results and'the production'. of the best quality of material with 1 any liquid asphalt containing 011 or other constituents volatile in the air. Much of the change in asphalt in pavements and other relations is probably due to the absorption of oxygen from the air;.

and the more violent the heating and other operations incident to the manufacture of, asphalt, the, greater seems to be the tendency for a progressive oxidation ofthe asphalt with an ultimate hardening and friability.

his is one of the reasons why I regard liquid asphalts, as nearly as possible in their natural conditiomas advantageous for my purposes. i In a practical embodiment of my invention, I may make-an asphalt pavementof an aggregate of sand, gravel or rock fragments or mlxtures of the same in much the usual manner, save thatI thoroughly disintegrate an mm with the-aggregate a sufiicient the dense and hard but malleable compositions made 'as described. This takes its place as part of the material dumped on the roadway or compressed into blocks to be put on the road. The'composition and the aggregate are thoroughly material so depo mixed or stirred together, preferably in a special machine, with or without means for heating, which not only mixes the aggregate but cleans it of all adhering soft material prior to deposit. On now tamping the material on the road into place, the fragmen tary mineral matter of the aggregate tends to form the usual locking engagement and relation of the ordinary pavement with the inevitable spaces between the fragments. But in the tamping or rolling, the malleable sited takes the only place available to it, that is in the voids between the fragments of mineral matter. Ontamping, the result is a hard, dense and impervious roadway in which, in contradistinction of the usual roadway, instead of the voids being filled with'solid or semisolid bitumen which will change in consistency and flow under temperature changes, the voids are filled with the non-flowing, strong composition described.

The composition takes its part in the complete structure and contributes to its mechanical strength instead of a hole-filling and' cementing being merely fun ctions,

material. It performs both these but it does more.

In this embodiment of my invention the roadway is composed of the usual aggreate in the usual relation with the voids the non-flowing composition of divided mineral matter and ifinely divided mineral being defloccuvery finely tumen; such preferably and advantageously a lated clay.

In another embodiment of my' invention making structural materials, such as bricks, tile, pipe, etc., I mix the described composition in a finely divided form with sand, gravel or other filler of appropriate size in the appropriate amount; an then stamp or press the whole into the shape desired. In making a, mixture, it is generally best to use unusually energetic disintegrating an mixing means. Powerful machinery is desirable in this part of the operation, but stamping or molding can be done under, comparatively, low pressures. One reason for the use of vigorous disintegrating machinery is the desirability of thoroughly cleaning the faces of the mineral aggregate. I find for the present purposes the earthbitumen corn osition may per cent. to 0 r cent. of fine earthy material and about 45 per cent. to 30 per cent. But the percentage of bitumen that which terial and ma product. The final composltion, however as a whole, that is including coarser materials (stones, rock fragments, etc.) may contain as low as 6 per cent. of

bitumen.

It is not necessary to size or grade the ke a substantially non-flowing from sand contain about 55' the-aggregate or 'gregate of aggregate to reduce the voids though this may be done. Ordinarily, in pavements o say, 3 inches thickness I can use anything from, say, 1.5 inch thickness down to fines. The sizes of materials used for the aggregate of blocks or the like depends upon the size of block, etc.

lVhile I regard tion herein called theposition as best made \viththe clayey matters of soil, loam or clay, yet I vmay use any other very finely divided mineral matter which will give a non-flowing composition when thoroughly mixed with the right amount of asphalt. In using clayey matter,

earth-bitumen com- I find that the best results are obtained with the clayey matter of a deflocculated consistency. In the natural moist clay, as it exists in most soil and particularly soil not in good tilth, he clay particles are 0 excessi've fineness and are discrete from each other. On treatment with various chemicals, on drying, etc., the ultimate clay particles tend to cohere more or less and produce a flocculatedmaterial in which the particles are not so fine. The finer the particles the better for the present purposes and I therefore find the deflocculated clays most advantageous.

The exact proportions of mineral matter and bitumen which are best used vary somewhat, the variance however being -more because of a variation of the state of subdivision of the ecause of difierences in asphalt. 'But I regard any composition of finemineral matter and bitumen in suc ratio as to give a malleable or non-flowing composition as within the tion. With deflocculated clays somewhat more bitm'nen is necessary for the same consistence than with the relatively coarser dusts made by pulverizing rock, sand or gravel.

The present invention is particularly applicable for the manufacture of hard, permanent and impervious bricks and blocks and gravel with the aid of a non-flowing binder adding to the stability of the mineral aggregate.

In another application, Serial No. 92,704 filed April 21, 1916, I have claimed a somewhat similar composition in which, however, merely embedded in the described hard composition instead of being in mechanical locking engagement with each other as in the present invention.

What I claim is:

1. A shaped article composed of an agbodies of mineral matter in locking arrangement; said bodies being cemented together by a composition of bitumen and dust-like mineral matter, said composition being malleable, but containing the coarser mineral aggregates are non-flowing.

2. A shaped. article composed-of an aggregate of bodies of mineral matter in lock-.

ing arrangement; said bodies being mineral matter, said com- .position being malleable, but containing enough of sai clayey mineral matter to render it non-flowing.

*3. A shaped article composed of an aggr'egate of bodies of mineral matter in locking arrangement; said bodies being mented together by a men and deflocculated ay, said compositlon being malleable, but

contaimng enough bitumen and deflocculated composition of bitu.-'

of said deflocculated clay to render it nonflowing.

gregate of bodiesof mineral matter in locking arrangement; said bodies bein ceby a composition of liqui clay, said composition being malleable, but containing enough of said deflocculated clay to render it non flo-Wing.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

mented togethed MICHAEL A. POPKESS.' Witness:

J. EDGAR .Bmcx. 

